Uganda's Indian community contributes 65 percent of the nation's income tax revenue despite representing less than one percent of the population. President Yoweri Museveni praised their economic impact at International Diwali celebrations held on October 26 at State House, Entebbe. He highlighted how entrepreneurs like Dr Sudhir Ruparelia built substantial businesses after arriving with modest capital.
Museveni condemned the 1972 expulsion of 80,000 Indians by former dictator Idi Amin as illegitimate and harmful to Uganda's economy. The president welcomed the community's return and encouraged additional investment in the manufacturing and tourism sectors. Indian High Commissioner Singh Rawat credited Museveni's leadership for creating...
Electoral Commission Chairman Simon Mugenyi Byabakama warned candidates to stop bribing voters with cash and goods ahead of the January 15, 2026, election. The practice violates the Parliamentary Elections Act of 2005, which punishes offenders with three years in prison or fines, yet remains common across Uganda's political landscape.
Byabakama condemned the distribution of money, hoes, and household items that turn voting into commercial transactions rather than civic participation. One aspiring candidate for the Mubende municipality spent more than 80 million shillings before losing his party nomination, while Investment Minister Evelyn Anite disclosed spending 100 million shillings over two days campaigning in Koboko.
The chairman...
Scholar Mahmood Mamdani argues that President Yoweri Museveni surpassed his predecessor, Idi Amin, in damaging Uganda through systematic corruption and tribal division, as noted in his book, Slow Poison. The Columbia University professor met Museveni in Tanzania in 1973 and tracked how revolutionary ideals eroded after nearly four decades in power.
Amin sought national unity despite brutal tactics, while Museveni fragmented society by multiplying ethnic divisions for political control. The current administration normalized state violence and converted peace promises into permanent rule rather than a democratic transition.
Western governments praised economic growth figures that masked wealth concentration among elites while most...
Police detained eight environmental activists outside the National Environment Management Authority offices after they protested wetland destruction along the Kampala-Masaka highway. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Luke Oweyesigyire said officers charged the group with public nuisance following their demonstration against sand mining and agricultural expansion in the 20-kilometer Lwera Wetland.
Weka Afri Sustainable Biodiversity executive Joachim Mumbere said mining operations leave flooded pits that damage nearby villages, while rice farm chemicals sicken residents. The activist accused authorities of licensing destructive companies and protecting operators with military personnel despite presidential promises to revoke wetland...
Uganda and Kenya declared a 200-kilometer expressway connecting Kisumu, Busia, Kakira, and Malaba ready for investment at meetings held in Kampala. The African Development Bank and East African Community backed the project that will reduce transport time between Mombasa port and landlocked nations by upgrading three border posts at Lwakhakha, Busia and Lumino.
Works Minister Katumba Wamala stated that Kenya remains Uganda's largest trading partner and that faster cargo movement benefits the regional economies. Private investors will finance construction through public-private partnerships and collect toll revenues under long-term contracts, rather than relying on traditional government funding models.
The highway forms part of the...
Business executives toured the Liaoshen Industrial Park in Nakaseke District on Friday to observe manufacturing operations that employ more than 1,000 workers. Presidential CEO Forum President Irene Birungi Mugisha led the delegation through Goodwill Uganda Ltd, where ceramic tiles are produced using 90 percent locally sourced materials.
The industrial complex hosts 38 factories that manufacture steel, fertilizers, and fruit products for regional markets. Gen Salim Saleh, senior presidential advisor, said infrastructure investments and land reforms drove the transformation of the former agricultural area into a production hub that attracted over $600 million in capital.
Emmanuel Katongole from Quality Chemical Industries urged...
Ugandan scientist Matthias Magoola announced at a Durban health conference that his company secured patents for messenger RNA vaccines targeting Ebola and Mpox. Dei BioPharma developed and tested both treatments independently, marking the first time Africa has created next-generation immunizations without foreign assistance.
The biochemist told Africa Centres for Disease Control delegates that the technology allows rapid manufacturing without live virus components. His Matugga facility, located outside Kampala, aims to become the continent's primary drug production organization and help Africa generate 60 percent of its vaccines locally within seven years, rather than by 2040.
Science Minister Monica Musenero questioned whether...
Bugweri County legislator Abdul Katuntu campaigned for President Yoweri Museveni at a rally in Iganga District last week after two decades of criticizing the ruling National Resistance Movement. Speaker Anita Among asked Katuntu to request votes for the president, prompting him to tell supporters they should reject opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi because Kyagulanyi refuses to accept certain voters.
Katuntu entered Parliament in 2001 as an independent member but acknowledged last year that the government consults him on legislative positions. He admitted the ruling party designated him to chair his committee and nominated him to the Pan African Parliament through internal vetting processes.
Museveni told lawmakers at a closed...
Premier Distilleries Limited marked its 25th anniversary in Uganda with the conclusion of the Bikole Masavu promotion, which attracted over one million participants. The three-month campaign awarded prizes to over 400,000 winners through weekly draws held in Mbale, Lira, Mbarara, Gulu, and Fort Portal, with rewards ranging from airtime and mobile money to motorcycles, smartphones, and a top cash award of 50 million shillings.
Sales manager Godfrey Sseluta said the company generated more than 15,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while supporting product distributors. The firm funded medical procedures and community development projects in its operating areas, though Sseluta urged authorities to strengthen regulations...
